New accessible playground celebrated at Westerman Elementary
Students at Westerman Elementary were eager to show off their new playground during a celebration to mark the official opening of the new, fully accessible outdoor equipment.
Grade 7 leadership students not only emceed an event at the Surrey school Dec. 19, but explained that they helped design and choose the colour of the structure.
Students in Grades 2 and 3 also talked about what the new playground means to them, including which elements Ć¢- slides, swings and even benches for parents ĆĀĆ¢- they liked best.
Terry Allen, vice-chairperson of the Surrey Board of Education, noted the new playground is an important outlet for physical activity and will also impact indoor instruction.
"Playgrounds give students an opportunity to collaborate with others, develop decision-making skills, and successfully take on leadership roles," said Allen. "They also allow students to persevere in the face of distractions, and generate creative ideas."
The Dec. 19 event was also attended by Surrey-Green Timbers MLA Rachna Singh, who joined district officials, students, staff and parents for an official ribbon cutting.
The Ministry of Education announced funding for the new $105,000 playground last March. Surrey's Goldstone Park Elementary and Strawberry Hill Elementary also received $90,000 grants for new playgrounds through the province's Playground Equipment Program (PEP). Goldstone's was recently completed, while Strawberry Hill's is scheduled to be done in March 2020.
